


Adulthood

by PalestAzure



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, F/M, Reylo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22237240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalestAzure/pseuds/PalestAzure
Summary: Kylo Ren has a decision to make after catching Rey trying to escape from his ship.
Relationships: Ben Solo/Rey, Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61
Collections: Reylo Hidden Gems





	Adulthood

**Author's Note:**

> I began writing this when I saw the scenes in the TROS TV spots of Rey and Kylo Ren in the hangar. Even after watching TROS, I decided to keep my same ideas and finish this story.

Stormtroopers had surrounded her in the hangar as she was on her way to escape. Poe and Finn were to meet her there with the Millennium Falcon, but they had not yet arrived. Instead, she was met--and now caught--by her enemy. Her hand hovered over the hilt of her lightsaber on her belt as she stared with narrow eyes around the group of troopers who held their blasters aimed at her. Rey quickly surveyed the situation, readying to Force pull the blasters from each of their grips and attack them with her lightsaber. But before she could react, a booming, mechanical voice echoed throughout the hangar. 

“Stand down.”

The stormtroopers parted, creating a path for their Supreme Leader. Rey’s expression softened at first in shock, but then hardened as he approached towards her with purposeful, long strides. His long and elegant black cape bellowed behind him, and the light from the hangar made the red cracks of his familiar helmet flicker like streams of blood. Rey’s lingering hand above the lightsaber finally met the hilt. Her jaw tensed as she scowled at the Supreme Leader who was now standing before her. 

Unbeknownst to Rey, Kylo Ren was staring at the woman before him with an expression that contradicted the threatening mask that obscured it. They had not been together in person for almost a year, but when they did see each other, it was impromptu via their Force bonds. Although there were still moments of compassion and understanding, they were brief in comparison to the anger and disappointment Rey still held for him. After Crait, he had lost her trust and companionship, which they had begun building before he murdered Snoke for her--and for himself. But now, she was there in front of him on his flagship, and he knew the reason. He also knew of her planned escape. His eyes flicked to the Sith dagger in her hand and then back up to her usual stare that was challenging and full of judgement. It was the stare that he had become accustomed to from their interactions and was only further confirmation of the truth of his own monstrosity.

As he stood there meeting her gaze from behind his mask, he was forced with options. 

He could take her into custody and force her to stay. In the past, he would have been arrogant enough in believing that he could take whatever he wanted, like a spoiled and self-entitled child, throwing a temper tantrum when things did not go the way he had planned. He would try to force her to comply to his commands, as she fought back against him with strong resistance, and ultimately winning as he watched her run away. 

He could ask and beg her to stay. He could become like an adolescent, making irrational decisions based on his emotions, resulting in him holding his hand out to her with a desperate “please” escaping his trembling lips. But because of his own internal conflicts and uncertainties, his impulsive decisions had left him waking up alone and left for dead. 

In both instances, she had left him. _You’re not alone_ were no longer words he could believe. They were also words he felt he no longer deserved. 

But there was a third option.

Without a word, he removed his helmet, unconcerned about exposing himself to her in front of the stormtroopers. Their eyes immediately locked onto each other. His gentle and glossy. Hers hard and fiery. 

“They’re coming for you.” Kylo simply stated in a voice reminiscent of their Force bond on Ahch-to. A hauntingly deep and soft, but somber tone.

Rey rapidly blinked as she began feeling a tightness around her eyes, but stood her ground as she stared at him with the same fiery intensity, preparing herself for anything. But she did not expect the next word. 

“Go.”

The gentleness of his tone made her release the hold on her hilt. Her hardened expression softened around her now widened eyes.

“Ben?” 

At that moment, Rey could sense a conflict within him, but not of his relentless pull towards both the light and the dark, which she had become most familiar with. But something more sentimental in nature. 

She began to slowly back away, as she quickly scanned around her, but returned her focus on him. Was this a trap? She noticed how he remained motionless. His helmet was gripped in his left hand against his thick and strong thigh. His right hand remained at his side, not even flexed in readiness to grab his saber from his hip. He did not appear to be preparing for a fight. Or was that something he wanted her to believe? 

She stopped as her heels met the white strip of light that lined the edge between the hangar and the openness of space. The light illuminated all around her, bathing her in refracted light of deep, dark hues of blue. These hues highlighted the elegant whiteness of her attire, turning her into a visual representation of how Kylo already envisioned her inside his mind: a radiant goddess who inhibited light with shades of dark. 

Through the Force, Rey could sense her friends gaining speed towards her location. She knew he sensed it too. But at that very moment, she saw something that gave her the answers to her questions. 

Kylo subtly nodded.

After stealing one more glance at him, she turned away, facing the outside to meet the approaching Falcon. Kylo took a step back as the Falcon turned with its sublight thrusters towards the inside of the hangar. The thrusters ignited, sending the stormtroopers flying backwards and landing on their backs. But Kylo held his hand downward, using the Force to hold his entire body forward, which prevented him from succumbing to the same fate of his stormtroopers. 

The boarding ramp lowered with Finn appearing and wearing an oxygen mask strapped to his face. Kylo clenched his jaw at the sight of him. He always considered him a traitor, but even now he contemplated the meaning of that word, after knowingly killing Snoke. Was FN-2187 truly a traitor, or did he have the strength to do what he himself could not? Leave. 

Finn reached his hand out to Rey. “Rey! Hurry!” His commands were muffled but understandable. 

The boarding ramp was about 20 meters away from where Rey stood. She took a deep breath, feeling the Force flow through her. She then darted towards the ship and jumped fully from the hangar and into the vacuum of space, as she met the landing on the ramp and Finn’s hand. Finn immediately ran inside. Rey followed but looked back at Kylo, who was still easily maintaining his balance against the thrusters while watching her escape. But this time, he did not see the same disappointment and anger in her face like during their Force bond on Crait. This time, he saw one of compassion and gratitude before she closed the ramp on him. 

The Falcon sped off and disappeared through light speed, leaving nothing but the emptiness of space for him to see. He regained his balance, stood upright, and turned around to see his stormtroopers still on the floor, trying to pick themselves up. He could not allow them to disclose what they had witnessed here. 

He put his helmet back on and had all of them stand at ease. He waved his hand towards them. 

“ _You_ let the scavenger escape.”

In unison, all of the troopers repeated. 

“We let the scavenger escape.”

“Your foolishness has cost us greatly.” He had learned that a calmer, but threatening tone was more efficient than yelling, especially in combination with his newly reformed mask. He sensed the increased heart rates and observed noticeable nervous twitches from his troopers. After a few more blunt words, the stormtroopers set off in different directions to continue their work, while also being on high alert after the reprimand from their Supreme Leader. 

With the hangar empty, Kylo gazed out to where he saw his father’s ship disappear. He stood not as a child nor as an adolescent, but as an adult who had set aside his own desires and impulsiveness to make a decision in the best interest of her, not of himself. And even if watching her leave again opened up the very wounds he wanted to heal or even ignore, he believed that if she wanted to be with him, it would be her decision. And because of that, he had to let her go. And ultimately, it was because he loved her.

  
  



End file.
